The New York Giants selected Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas with the fourth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
In an interview on the “Giants Huddle” podcast, Thomas said it’s an “honor” to be with the Giants (quotes by means of giants.com).
“First of all, it’s an honor to play for the New York Football Giants, a great organization with a lot of good history,” Thomas said on the Giants Huddle podcast. “I’m an offensive lineman, so I take pride in being able to run the ball, being able to protect the quarterback, and obviously, that’s something that they take a lot of interest in, too.”
Thomas calls the virtual offseason a “huge adjustment.”
“It’s a huge adjustment,” Thomas said about the current circumstances with the coronavirus pandemic. “Nobody will be prepared for it, but I’ve just been trying to play the cards that I’ve been dealt. We’re having our meetings online. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to work out because I’m in Georgia, so some of the gyms are open, so I’ve been able to stay in shape and things like that. I’m just trying to make the best of my time that I have.”
Thomas started at both tackle positions in his three seasons at Georgia (15 games at right tackle in 2017 and 26 games at left tackle from 2018-19). He says that switching tackle positions is “natural” from a technique standpoint. The Giants could look to utilize him in that way.
“For me, it’s kind of like a switch in my head that kind of goes off, because the plays and everything are the same, the technique is the same, but everything is flipped to the other side,” Thomas said. “You might be using your right leg for something that would maybe be different on the left side. It’s just getting used to that. But once I get a few repetitions at it, it’s just natural.”
Thomas compares the way his new offensive line coach, Marc Colombo, operates to his Georgia days.
“He’s a teacher,” Thomas said of Colombo, who was a first-round draft choice in 2002 and played tackle for Chicago (2002-05), Dallas (2005-10) and Miami (2011). “He wants us to know everything that’s going on. We’re learning the formations, everything that’s going on, so we can understand the game on another level. I like that. It’s kind of similar to what I had at Georgia with Coach [Sam] Pittman. He wanted us to know everything that’s going on. I feel like as an offensive lineman, understanding the big picture allows us to play faster. He’s a great coach so I’m excited to be on the field with him.”
Thomas sees “details” as a crucial element to the adjustment from college to the NFL.
“It’s different from college. There’s nobody checking on you, making sure you’re going to class,” Thomas said. “It’s ‘you’re a man, this is your job, treat it like that.’ That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
It’s just the details. In college, there are a few things that you can get away with. Like you understand where the play is going and you have a general technique that you use for that play. But in the pros, there are changes based on linebackers’ rotation, alignment, what the motions are. I talk about the big picture of understanding what’s going on, what the formation is, things like that, makes a big difference in the plays.”
Thomas has been building a relationship with veteran Giants tackle Nate Solder this offseason.
“For the rookies, the big thing for us is knowing everybody on the team, knowing the staff,” Thomas said. “They test us all the time because they want us to know. The NFL is a people’s league, and we have to know our teammates and the people that we’ll see in the building every day. So, we’re trying to do that. I’ve also been building a relationship with [veteran offensive tackle] Nate Solder actually. He reached out to me. Obviously, he’s a man of faith, so that’s something that’s big for me, just him inviting me to be part of bible studies, something that I want to do and stuff like that. Just trying to get to know the guys.”
Thomas is part of a tackle group that includes Solder, Nick Gates, free agent signee Cam Fleming and third-round draft pick Matt Peart.